Some wear it for jewellery. Some regard it as an amulet to "ward off evil spirits". we often see in vampire movies that evil beings evaporate at the sight of a Cross. Due to widespread use (and abuse) of the Cross in the society, it has lost its true meaning in the lives of many.
Here I would address some of the common views of the Cross.
The Cross as jewellery.
There are many people who are wearing crosses on necklaces etc, and now it's not a very good way to think that a person is a Christian by seeing a cross worn around his/her neck. I suppose many would think that it looks pretty simple and comes in many designs, hence its popularity as a form of jewellery.
However, the meaning behind the Cross is actually more grave than this. It symbolises death, as it was used as an instrument of death during the time when the Roman Empire controlled the Palestine area. Wearing a cross as jewellery is no different from wearing a replica of an electric chair or a gullotine as an ornament.
The Cross as an amulet
As I mentioned before, due to the influence of modern vampire tales, many are led to believe that a piece of some substance shaped like a cross has the power to ward off evil beings.
When I was in my Primary school days, I didn't know Jesus, and so I viewed the cross in this way too. I remembered there was a rumour that a particular tree in my school was haunted. One day, my friends decided to explore the site, and to keep ourselves "safe", we agreed to make paper crosses and bring them along during our "exploration".
Looking back, I think when God was watching us at that time (as He always is), he would have felt...
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Why? Because it's foolishness, and even idolatry, to think that there's such "power" in a created object!
Also, the Bible says that it's faith in God that will help us move even mountains(Matthew 17:20), but if you don't have faith, even the name of Jesus himself will do you no good. The Bible tells of a story of 7 guys (who did not really believe in Jesus) who tried to use the name of "Jesus, whom Paul preaches about", to cast out evil spirits. In the end, the spirit merely replied "I know Jesus and Paul, but who are you?!"(Acts 19:13 to 16)
You see, using the cross as a so-called amulet is a very shallow gesture indeed.
So the Cross actually carries much deeper meanings than those listed above. Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified on a cross despite his innocence, hence the Cross is being remembered until today. Now what about his death that made it so special?
To be continued...
